Support in Controlling Free-roaming Chicken Population at Sin Ming Court

44 Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked the Minister for National Development regarding the free-roaming chickens at Sin Ming Court (a) whether NParks will provide support in controlling the chicken population through the use of chicken contraceptive feed known as Ovistop as their relocation to farms is progressing slowly due to constraints; and (b) if so, whether NParks will absorb the cost of engaging a contractor to carry out this exercise.

Mr Desmond Lee: NParks adopts a community- and science-based approach to managing chickens in residential areas. For instance, we work with landowners to carry out habitat modification to prevent chickens from roosting close to residential units. We also engage the community to discourage the feeding of free-roaming chickens.

NParks also reviews other potential population control measures, such as the use of contraceptive chicken feed. At this point, the use of Ovistop is not feasible as it requires continual and frequent feeding of the chickens to be effective. As for other methods of population control, such as sterilisation, NParks will consider the efficacy, safety and humaneness of these measures, as well as their cost sustainability in the long term. We will continue to work with the community and the Free-Roaming Chicken Taskforce to sustainably manage the population of chickens in Sin Ming Court.